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Synopsis

In the 1960s on the east coast of New Zealand, two Maori sheep-shearing families - the Mahanas and the Poatas - are longstanding enemies and commercial rivals. 14-year-old Simeon Mahana, the youngest son, is in conflict with his traditionalist grandfather, Tamihana. As Simeon unravels the truth behind the longstanding vendetta, he risks his own prospects, and the cohesion of the entire society.

Adapted from a novel by The Whale Rider (KFC, 2004) author Witi Ihimaera this family saga is a return to Maori roots for Once Were Warriors director Lee Tamahori.

Thanks to Wild Bunch

Critics

The Patriarch plays like a classic Western as it proudly expands the still-limited canon of essential films about New Zealand's tribal people